Hong Kong Watch participates in G7 Dialogue on Transnational Repression

Last week, Hong Kong Watch participated in the G7 Dialogue on Transnational Repression hosted by the Government of Canada in Ottawa.

This event brought together government officials, including G7 members (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US) and partners, academic experts, and civil society representatives to turn collective experiences of transnational repression into actionable solutions. 

Hong Kong Watch’s Policy Advisor Katherine Leung participated in the panel, “The Threat of Digital TNR: Impact on Communities”, where she made remarks about the Hong Kong community’s experience of transnational repression and gave recommendations to governments on how to combat this ongoing threat. 

Specifically, Ms Leung reiterated the importance of governments supporting victims in order to build trust, the necessity for both a law enforcement and diplomatic response, and the Hong Kong government withholding Hong Kongers’ Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) savings as a form of financial transnational repression. 

Katherine Leung, Policy Advisor of Hong Kong Watch, said: 

“We greatly welcome Canada taking a leadership role in coordinating an international response to transnational repression as it assumes the G7 presidency. With the G7 Leaders Summit in Alberta set to take place in a few months, it is encouraging to know that transnational repression will be a top priority on the table.

Too long have diaspora communities, including Hong Kongers around the world, been victimized by the Chinese Communist Party’s tactics of transnational repression including the silencing of dissent. This event was a necessary first step in G7 members and partners becoming better equipped to coordinate an international response to protect communities from foreign governments who seek to repress opposing voices.”

香港監察參加「七國集團跨國鎮壓對話」

上星期，香港監察在渥太華參加由加拿大政府主辦的「七國集團跨國鎮壓對話」。

活動匯集七國集團成員國（加拿大、法國、德國、意大利、日本、英國和美國）及合作夥伴國等政府官員、學界專家和民間社會代表，務求將跨國鎮壓的集體經驗轉化成可行的解決方案。

香港監察政策顧問Katherine Leung參加了「數碼跨國鎮壓威脅：對社群的影響」研討會，討論香港社群受到跨國鎮壓的經歷，並向各國政府提出如何對抗這持續威脅的建議。

她特別重申各國政府支援受害者以建立信任的重要性，以及執法和外交回應的必要性，並提請關注香港政府扣押港人強積金（MPF）儲蓄這種金融跨國鎮壓行為。

香港監察政策顧問Katherine Leung表示：

「我們非常歡迎加拿大在擔任七國集團主席國時，帶領協調國際社會應對跨國鎮壓。幾個月後，七國集團領導人峰會將在亞伯達省舉行，而跨國鎮壓是屆時的首要討論議題，實在令人鼓舞。

長久以來，全球港人等離散社群一直受到中國共產黨跨國鎮壓手段的迫害，當中包括壓制異見。這場活動是必要的第一步，讓七國集團成員國及合作夥伴國更有能力協調國際回應，從而保護社群免受設法打壓反對聲音外國政府的侵害。」